This invention relates generally to a testing apparatus and more particularly to such an apparatus designed for measuring top and side wear of the rails along a railroad track.
Problems of undue rail wear have beleaguered the rail industry throughout its history and are becoming more acute now that higher speed rail transportation systems are developed. Railroad tracks must be constantly monitored for rail wear and worn rail sections of the track must be replaced for reasons of safety, riding comfort, riding stability and the like. In the past, it has been customary to manually measure rail wear along the tops and inner surfaces of both rails by means of a rail gauge. Such a gauge is normally designed as having a template contoured to an unworn feature of the rail at the undersurface of the rail head and at the upper side surface of the rail web. Such contour varies for different gauges used in measuring different sized rails of 100 pounds, 115 pounds and 132 pounds of presently usable stock. Each gauge has a pair of axially movable plungers for respectively making point contact with the top and inner side surfaces of the rail head. These plungers are calibrated so that readings may be taken therefrom depending on their inward movement from zero calibration in accordance with top surface and side surface rail wear. The process for measuring rail wear using such gauges is obviously tedious and time consuming especially since manual recordings must be made at predetermined mileposts along the tracks. Recording accuracy is therefore difficult to maintain using this inefficient system.